Too Fast For Mistakes
by BlueHawaii
Summary: Set when Tony was kidnapped by Mandy. JackTony slash.
1. Chapter 1

This is my first fan fiction. This takes place in series 4 when Tony is taken hostage by Mandy. I noticed there was not many Jack/Tony fics so I thought I would to the tiny collection.

Disclaimer: I do not own 24.

Too Fast For Mistakes

Sheltered from the torrential downpour outside Jack was sitting in his car, fidgeting. He was waiting for Michelle to get her phone call. He stared at the apartments until his phone rang, startling him. Hurriedly picking it up, pushing a button, and pressing it to his ear he heard Buchcanan's voice.

"I'm going to connect you to the feed"

"Have you redeployed all your men?" Mandy asked.

Michelle replied shakily "Yes, I have"

"Are you sure they followed your instructions"

"I'm sure"

"Michelle, do you love Tony?"

"Yes I love him"

"Good 'cos if I find out your trying to play me the first thing I'll do is blow his brains out. Stay by the phone"

Jack could feel the blood pounding in his ears. Fear and anticipation rattled his bones. He wanted the woman dead, not for threatening thousands of innocent people, but for threatening the one life of Tony Almeida.

Jack's hands were shaking uncontrollably as he watched the apartment building, waiting for any sign of movement.

The phone rang for the second time. He reached for it but found it difficult to pick it up since his hands were shaking worse than the phone. In the end, he managed, gently, to press the phone to his ear. He answered how he always did, saying 'Bauer' in a gruff voice. Only this time he realised the thing shaking worst was his voice. It seemed so weak and scared he did not want people to see or hear him in this fragile state. A wave of relief washed over him when he heard Mandy talking to Michelle. No one had heard him at his worst. Yet.

"If I see any of your men, don't forget now, I'll blow his brains out"

"Yes I know"

"I have a gun pointed at him, my finger on the trigger, if anyone tries anything you know what'll happen"

Jack watched as two figures, Tony and his captor, walked out of the building and towards an idle car. The pair reached the car and one of them pushed the other down and into the car then climbed in. What happened next happened fast.

"I see you men Michelle, you lied to me. You're not going to take me alive, got it!"

Jack's heart stopped when the car exploded into flames.

Dun Dun Duuuun… and you think you know what is going to happen.


	2. Chapter 2

The explosion was still ringing in his ears as Jack shoved opened the door and clambered out the car. He could feel the rain pounding on his face but he could not hear it. He could not hear anything other than the thumping of his heart. The smell of smoke and burning rubber floated through the air and hit Jack when he stopped at the burning wreck.

His whole body felt heavy. His legs violently shook until they finally gave way making Jack crash to the floor on his knees. He buried his face into his hands and curled up into a ball making himself as small as possible. It wasn't long until Jack's body shook with ragged sobs, his back heaved up and down as he struggled through rasping gasps.

After watching the feed in a van around the other side of the apartments, it took a while for Curtis to race to the scene of the explosion. When he got there he stopped in his tracks, he had spotted Jack whimpering on the ground. He had never seen Jack in this state, hell; he had thought no one had ever seen him in this state.

Jack must have heard the slowly shuffling footsteps behind him since his head shot up and he tried to stifle his sobs.

"Urm…Jack?" Curtis questioned gently, unsure whether Jack would be angry with him for witnessing him at his worst.

Still on his knees, Jack wiped his face with his soggy sleeve, took a deep breath and stood back up. His legs were still shaking and his face was still incredibly pale but he tried his best to look calm and collected. He took a few steps back, stumbling a little. Jack wrapped his arms around himself shielding his body from the cold and rain.

"Buchanan said to pack up and come back to CTU. There isn't much we can do now, out here." Jack could tell Curtis was trying his best to sound gentle, but what he had said angered him.

"Go back? I'm not leaving. This isn't right. Why would she kill herself, why didn't she bargain with us. She had leverage!"

"Jack…"

"No, I'm not leaving. Get me the video feed in the van. I want to see it again." Curtis knew it was pointless to argue and he knew what the outcome would be, regardless of what he said.

"Fine, but you're explaining to Buchanan."

Rain pounded heavily on the metal car roof. Jack sat inside shivering while he stared intently at the monitor in front on him. Curtis was seated next to him with a disgruntled look on his face.

"Jack, how many time do you need to watch this before you accept what happened?"

"As many times as it takes to prove something is wrong here. Hand me a headset." Curtis took a much-needed sigh before dropping a headset into Jack's outstretched hand.

None of this made any sense. Why kill yourself. With Tony as a hostage, she could have asked for freedom, and as much as Jack would have liked to tear her limb from limb for even thinking of touching him, if it meant Tony was safe he would have persuaded Buchanan to let her go.

After his seventh viewing of the video, something clicked.

"Replay that last bit."

"Why, what did you see?"

"Just replay it." To drown out the steady pattering of the rain Jack held the headset closer to his ear. Throughout the phone call the downpour could be heard but the moment Mandy stepped into the car the expected tinny noise of the rain hitting the roof couldn't be heard. Jack had it all figured out. She was never in the car. She'd used a double. Tony was safe, for now. Curtis watched the relief seep out of Jack and saw him visually relaxing.

"What did you see?" Ignoring the question, Jack swiftly opened the door and stepped into the rain. The cold feeling that was sweeping through his body was oddly refreshing so he closed his eyes and basked in it. Curtis was now getting slightly impatient.

"Jack?" Shining blue orbs opened to stare at the vast darkness that was the night sky.

"Get the tact team together. We're going to get her."


	3. Chapter 3

Silently, a man in Kevlar and a helmet jogged up the stairs with Jack not far behind. To have a clear view of the doubles, Mandy, as Jack had worked out, must be in the building the couple exited from. So, without a second to spare, a team was put together and sent on a rescue mission.

A familiar voice echoed through Jack's skull.

"Jack, there is fresh blood outside an apartment." Breath hitched. Adrenaline was pulsating.

"Where?" The words in his throat just couldn't escape quickly enough.

"Room 208." Before Curtis could say another word, Jack was speeding along the different passageways to arrive at the room as fast as possible. Gun already drawn, he signaled Curtis to take the door. If she was in there, all of this had to go as planned. No slip-ups, no stupid mistakes. Tony's life hanged on the line. Also the fate of America, but at the moment, thoughts of the world's future wasn't what plagued Jack's mind.

"Now." With one swift kick, the door swung roughly on its hinges until it connected with the wall with a dull thud. Within seconds, all the available bodies that made up the team were standing in an empty apartment. Jack sighed in frustration then ran a sweaty hand through his still soggy hair.

The blood caught his eye. By the door, next to some shattered glass, was a blood soaked patch of carpet. Through the open door, was another patch of crimson liquid, glistening from the glow of the light up above. They were moving away. Tony left a trail.

"She went this way!" His legs moved on their own, racing down the stairs, following the trail, determination filling every part of him. A few steps from the bottom he heard a noise. A scream.

"Turn around. Move." A woman's voice ordered faintly. Jack skipped the last two steps and marched round the corner, gun raised.

"Don't move! Put the gun down, it's over!" With one hand on Tony's shoulder and the other holding a pistol to his neck, she twirled around to face Jack. A battered, bloody but still oddly gorgeous Tony stood before him.

"Take one more step and I'll kill him." Instructed Mandy calmly. Her head just peaking over Tony's shoulder.

"Do it Jack, do what you have to do." Even Tony sounded all too calm under the circumstances. His hands shook uncontrollably so he tightened his grip on the pistol. Jack could only think how weak he must look. Pale, clammy and shaking. He couldn't let anyone know what was going on in his mind; he needed to look in control. If not for his own sake then for Tony's.

"Do you really have what it takes to let me kill him while you're looking him in the eye?" There was no way in hell he could deal with it, but she didn't need to know that, so his years of training kept his eyes from betraying his heart. After a short pause, Jack answered.

"Yes." With a quick thought and slight nervous nibble of her lip, she responded.

"I believe you." Throughout the pause, Jack never broke eye contact, but as soon as she replied, his eyes darted to Tony's mellow brown gaze.

"Then what's to stop me from shooting him?" Jack's mind went blank and he shifted his gaze back to Mandy. That one line was all that it took to destroy the wall Jack had built around himself. He tried to swallow the unpleasant lump that had lodged itself in his throat.

"You can't…kill me…can you?" She smiled after she noticed Jack's eyes flickering from her to Tony, then back again.

"You need me."

Through the windows of the car, just behind Mandy, Jack could see Curtis crouching, gun raised and waiting. Took him long enough. Surprised that she didn't see him staring over her shoulder, Jack relaxed slightly. It's fine; this is going to work. It has to.

He locked eyes with Tony, silently begging him to understand what was going to happen. Out the corner of his eye, he saw Curtis nod. Well here goes.

"Tony." It all happened in a flash. Tony pushed backward, causing Mandy to stumble a bit and him to fall over completely since his hands were tied roughly behind his back. Before she could even try to blow his brains out, Curtis had knocked her out.

"The hostel is down, I repeat, the hostel is down!" Shouted Jack, as he raced straight to the helpless Tony who was lying on the cold stone floor. Not even stopping to assist Curtis in moving the now unconscious body of the terrorist he was _meant_ to be interested in. Might as well pretend he's interested.

"Get a medic down here quickly. I want her conscious, now!" Jack un-cuffed Tony as quickly as possible then dragged him to his feet. Placing one hand on his warm neck, just below the collar, he gently pushed Tony up against the car.

"Look at me. You ok?" He squeezed tighter on his neck, not trying for it to be uncomfortable but to show comfort instead. "You ok?" While breathing heavily, Tony nodded.

"Yah."

Jack couldn't stop the broad smile that crept onto his face. Tony was safe and Jack could feel the heat radiating from his body. For some reason Jack felt his hands slowly sliding up Tony's neck to cup his face. Then for a stranger reason still he leant in closer, bringing his lips considerably closer to Tony's. No one moved for a couple of seconds until Jack shortened the gap even more to taste Tony's chapped, cut, bruised and bleeding lips. Before Jack could even begin to enjoy it, he realized exactly how inappropriate and stupid this actually was. In addition, Curtis was standing a mere few feet away. Panic was beginning to set in, yet Jack still hadn't removed his lips.

"Does Michelle know I'm alive?" Jack blinked. He suddenly noticed he was standing a couple of steps away from Tony. Not up close and personal like he was just seconds ago. Daring a quick glance in Curtis' direction, he noted he wasn't staring back, and he didn't have his mouth flapping open wordlessly like a fish out of water. What just happened, or more importantly, what didn't just happen.


	4. Chapter 4

"Jack, does Michelle know I'm alive?" Tony pressed further. Jack assumed it was safe to say he hadn't kissed Tony or, maybe, he was just showing Jack how much he never wanted to think about this moment again, but Jack somehow didn't think it was the latter.

Both men were still relatively close to each other, and Jack could feel Tony's ragged breath ghosting across his jaw line. Jack's eyes flickered to Tony's mouth and watched as his tongue darted out to wet his bloody lips. It took a lot of concentration to bring his gaze up to meet Tony's own. However, when he finally did, the look on Tony's face reminded him that he hadn't answered his question. He was looking on expectantly, with a hint of confusion in his eyes, at Jack.

Jack struggled to come up with an answer, and when one was on the tip of his tongue, movement caught his eye. There was a particularly nasty looking cut on Tony's lower lip that kept shining with blood. When it congealed enough, Tony's tongue would lap it up. Jack found he couldn't look away.

"Jack…" Tony reached up to unclasp Jack's hand from his face. As soon as the hand touched his skin, Jack jumped back into action.

"No, she doesn't. Not yet." Jack stepped back, leaving Tony room to move away from the car door he had been pressed against. Tony glanced over his shoulder to see Curtis and another agent carrying an unconscious Mandy to the car. Her hands were tied, what looked like quite painfully, behind her back, and her head was lolling about from the movement of being carried.

When Tony turned back to Jack, he saw him staring at the ground with a far away look on his face. A loud voice boomed behind them both, and Jack's head shot up. His body alert and his reactions fine-tuned, once more. Curtis told them they were ready to return to CTU, whenever he was. With that, Jack ran a steady hand through his hair, and stepped back towards Tony. He placed a comforting hand on Tony's shoulder, silently urging him to move. A part of Tony wanted to speak up, but he decided against it and just wordlessly let himself be helped to the car.

* * *

The first couple of minutes of the journey were silent, but not painfully so. Jack found himself sitting across from Tony in one of the many vans returning to CTU. Nameless agents that had helped in the rescue surrounded them, but Jack barely noticed any of them. He, instead, stared intently at Tony who, in turn, was leaning back with his eyes closed. Every breath caused his bloody shirt to rise then fall.

A sudden bump in the road jostled the van and its inhabitants. Jack sent an annoyed look at the driver. Curtis had offered to ride with Mandy, and since Jack couldn't even begin to think about being trapped in a confined space near her without tearing her limb from limb, he agreed someone should accompany her. But he hadn't thought ahead that that meant yet another nameless body would have to drive him.

Jack focused on Tony again, only just then realizing how pale he was. The blood stained patches of skin stood out stark against his ashen face. His lip had stopped bleeding and even looked to be scabbing over, but they still looked dry and chapped. No matter how many times he tried to wet them; and Jack had counted many, they didn't seem to be getting any better.

Another pothole in the road, and Tony's head banged loudly against the metal side of the van. His eyes shot open and locked with Jack's, who had been staring for quite a while now. At first, Tony gaped ahead, not really remembering where he was, then recognition shined through; he sighed heavily then rested his head back again, turning away from Jack's gaze. When he shifted slightly to get more comfortable, pain shot through his chest and a scowl crossed his face. He clutched at his rib, obviously trying to rid himself of the pain, but it didn't work. All he could do was take in sharp hiss of air, and even that only caused his rib to move more.

Jack sat and watched intently as Tony sifted through these emotions in a matter of seconds. When he saw Tony wince, something flashed in Jack's head. Before he knew it, he had crossed the van and was settled next to him.

"You're hurt." His hand, as a reflex, reached out towards the darkened bruise he could see beginning to bloom through Tony's shirt.

"I'm fine, Jack." Tony couldn't help but flinch when he felt Jack's fingertips tenderly brush the fabric covering his battered skin. He was about to bat the hand away when he met Jack's pointed glare. With that, he sighed, knowing it was useless trying to argue. He simply rested his head back.

Jack took this as an invitation; he reached for the hem of Tony's shirt with surprisingly stable hands, and lifted it up far enough to reveal the, already purple, bruise. It was in a very awkward place, starting just under his armpit and stretching on to just past his ribs. Every breath, coupled with any movement would result in disturbing the tender area. Jack poked and prodded the flesh, smiling slightly at the unsettled grunts coming from the body under his hands.

"You'll live. But it's going to hurt to move for a couple of days."

"That's what I figured." Tony shivered due to the raised shirt and the drying sweat. Jack felt the skin quiver. He dropped the shirt back into place and turned in his seat to face Tony. His head was back and his eyes were closed again. It looked as though he was fighting sleep, because every once and a while he would shift. Maybe his hand would tighten around the bench, or his leg would tense then relax.

For some reason, Jack noticed every little move Tony made. The other bodies in the van were off in a different world to Jack, although he saw them out of the corner of his eye, he ignored them. He only had eyes for Tony now.

Before he could stop it, the situation from earlier popped into his head. He remembered the heat of Tony's skin; the taste of his lips and the feel of the cuts and bruises against his hands. Despite the fact that he imagined them, he could vividly recall every touch and sensation. And, although his tired mind kept telling him the opposite, his body told him he wanted the touch back.

Tony must have felt the gaze on him, because he weakly opened his eyes to peer at Jack directly. What he wasn't expecting, however, was for Jack to be sitting so close. He, also, remembered how Jack had been acting strange lately, but he couldn't, for the life if him, figure out why. Obviously, whatever it is was still bothering him, because this wasn't exactly normal behavior for him.

Jack kept Tony's eye for a few moments, until finally giving in. He leant forward on the bench. Tony noticed the movement and sat up. Something told Jack that maybe Tony wasn't moving for him; maybe he was actually trying to get away. However, it didn't stop him; he just blocked the noise of everything else out. Including the sound of the fidgeting bodies around him. Relishing the thought of touching warm skin again, Jack raised his hand to Tony's arm. It jolted slightly from the contact, but Jack didn't remove it. He, instead, drew it further up until he reached Tony's neck. Next, Jack leaned his face closer, his eyes and their opposites never leaving each other in the process. Jack noted in the back of his mind, that he didn't see Tony move away when he closed the last gap between them. Then again, he was also sure that none of this was real or actually happening.

He tasted the familiar salty tang to Tony's lips and felt the rough texture of the cut rub against his own lips. They were still dry but Jack ignored it, in favor of just enjoying the moment. The fact that he was currently in a van, surrounded by several other men, never crossed his mind; he made sure of it. A small part of him panicked when he took in how real this felt, but nothing could have pulled him away now.

Tony remained motionless throughout the kiss, as did Jack's hand on his neck. He didn't respond, but he didn't wretch away in disgust either.

When Jack ran his tongue across the uneven bottom lip, he felt Tony's neck twitch. He repeated the action, only to feel the skin quiver again. Thanks to the added confidence, Jack relaxed and closed his eyes. His thumb gently stroked Tony's face, urging him to respond and kiss back, but nothing he did seemed to persuade him.

After a while, Jack pulled back, removing his hand from its warm, comfortable spot and down to clutch at his own leg. He waited until his breathing was stable before he risked opening his eyes. He was anything but surprised, and slightly grateful, to find himself seated back on the other side of the van, away from Tony. Everyone else was off in their own world, not giving any insight into what they might have just seen. That was a good sign. Tony was right where he had been sitting all along. Straight across from Jack, head tilted backwards, eyes closed. He glanced down to see his hand clasped tightly around his leg, his fingernails digging in sharply. Jack let out a breath he had been holding.

It was obvious what his brain was trying to tell him. He was attracted to Tony. However, what he couldn't figure out was _why_ it was trying to tell him. Why would focusing on this now, help him. It clouded his head and made it hard for him to think clearly. Jack didn't like that, he was use to being right on task, but now he was at a loss of what to do.

Unexpectedly, the van rolled to a halt. Seconds after, the doors were thrown wide open, letting the bright floodlights outside stream inside. Jack squinted away from the sudden harsh lighting, even bringing up a hand to shield his eyes. Tony groaned loudly when the intense light disturbed his uncomfortable slumber. Jack recognized the bleary stare he wore after first opening his eyes, from just moments ago. All the other bodies quickly scrambled out while Tony tried to get his bearings back. Jack waited with him because he knew he would need a hand.

Before long, Tony had managed to locate Jack, remind himself he was in the back of a van and rub a hand over his tired eyes. After that, he attempted to make a move to get out; but that didn't go quite as smoothly. He had tried to stand, putting most of his weight on his unsteady legs. Although, he was still supporting himself with an arm on the bench, he stood hunched over and not quite sturdy. The short nap had obviously taken its toll on him, and reminded him how long how had been awake today. As he shuffled towards the open doors, he wobbled; took a moment to regain his footing, and then carried on moving.

Jack watched tensely from the side, waiting for any chance that he would need to jump in to help. Thankfully, he wasn't needed, and Tony made it out of the van without an incident. Jack quickly followed, hopping off the step in a huge contrast to the way Tony had stepped down, slowly and carefully.

People were walking in many directions behind and around the men. Everyone seeming to have a goal in mind. Curtis passed by with Mandy in tow, nodding at Jack as he went. When he turned back to Tony, he saw he was also studying them, though mainly Mandy. Jack waited until they were a good few meters ahead before he dropped a hand onto Tony's back. He began stepping forward right away and Tony noiselessly trailed along with him.

After they slipped through the doors, they were met by the quiet commotion that often littered the CTU floors. He felt every available pair of eyes in the room, turn to glance at them. Curtis and Mandy carried on going, bypassing most of the people to get to the holding rooms in the back of the building. Tony and Jack, on the other hand, ran into Michelle. Jack stayed back when Tony went forward to wrap his arms around her. A part of him felt guilty seeing them together, despite knowing that whatever was happening with him wasn't real. He heard breaking voices and hushed tones coming from the pair, and when he pulled his gaze up from the floor he saw the tears in Michelle's eyes. He saw Tony smiling for the first time since this incident began. He saw the simple affection radiating off them both, and Jack's heart plummeted

It wasn't as though he had thought there was any possibility that Tony would be his, but it just hurt to see it, right there, in front of him. Despite this, Jack couldn't help but smile to himself when he caught sight of Tony pressing a gentle kiss to Michelle's forehead. Jack dropped his head again, and was about walk away when Curtis appeared in front of him. He didn't look happy.

"She's not talking until she has immunity signed by the president."

Jack was ashamed to say that he had forgotten about Mandy, but as soon as Curtis reminded him, he sprung into action. He was surprised by how gravely his voice sounded to his own ears, but he guessed that it had something to do with the sudden animalistic urge to rip someone to shreds that was coursing through his veins.

"Let me talk to her." Curtis nodded, fully understanding the tone in which Jack spoke. He disappeared in a direction nowhere near the holding room.

The path to the holding room was past Tony and Michelle, so Jack set off towards them. The pair had pulled away from each other and looked Jack's way as he moved. Both were smiling but there were still tears threatening to spill. Jack could see the dark patch of skin through Tony's shirt, and when he stared at it, Michelle noticed it too.

"Tony, the medic should be waiting for you when you want to get checked out." Tony sighed and answered without malice.

"I'm fine, Jack."

Jack ducked his head, trying to hide a smile, then decided against it and looked up at Tony, who was smiling slightly back. His hand itched to moved forward and grab Tony. Just to grasp anything, his hand, his arm, his shirt, anything. But he didn't. Instead, his hand stayed by his side, forming a tight fist.

"I'm glad you're okay, Tony."

He didn't stick around after that. He didn't really stay long enough to see Tony's reaction either, but that didn't bother him. He probably wouldn't have liked it anyway. There were more important things to worry about, at the moment, and he could see the holding room from where he stood. Tony could wait.

As he strolled away, Jack heard Michelle speak up softly. He couldn't make out what she had said, and he thought himself better off because of it.

When he reached the door an unexpected image popped into his head, his hand paused on its way to turning the handle. The image was of him and Tony standing exactly as they were just moments ago, Michelle positioned mere inches away. Each man had a smile on their face, directed at one another. However, instead of keeping his hand at his side, it stretched out towards Tony. Jack's fingers brushed against Tony's shirt, the course material threaded itself between them. It was surprisingly warm. Then it was gone. In its place was the cold metal door handle, which he turned and then entered into the dark room it revealed. Mandy would have no choice but to tell him everything.


End file.
